PGA Tour superstar Rory McIlroy missed two crucial short putts during the final round of the U.S. Open on Sunday to allow Bryson DeChambeau to overtake him on the leaderboard and claim the championship. And while McIlroy did not stick around to congratulate DeChambeau after the tournament, he did do it on social media.
On Monday afternoon, Rory McIlroy posted a lengthy statement on social media in which he had a clear message for Bryson DeChambeau, congratulating him and making it clear just how important he thinks he is to the sport of professional golf.
“Yesterday was a tough day, probably the toughest I’ve had in my nearly 17 years as a professional golfer,” McIlroy said in his statement on X, the social media website that was formerly known as Twitter.
“Firstly, I’d like to congratulate Bryson. He is a worthy champion and exactly what professional golf needs right now. I think we can all agree on that.”
— Rory McIlroy (@McIlroyRory) June 17, 2024
McIlroy went on to discuss how he is reflecting on the disappointing finish and how he plans to bounce back.
“As I reflect on my week, I’ll rue a few things over the course of the tournament, mostly the 2 missed putts on 16 and 18 on the final day. But, as I always try to do, I’ll look at the positives of the week that far outweigh the negatives. As I said at the start of the tournament, I feel closer to winning my next major championship than I ever have. The one word that I would describe my career as is resilient. I’ve shown my resilience over and over again in the last 17 years and I will again,” McIlroy continued.
“I’m going to take a few weeks away from the game to process everything and build myself back up for my defense of the Genesis Scottish Open and The Open at Royal Troon. See you in Scotland.”
It’s clear that it was a tough loss for McIlroy, but he is still happy for DeChambeau.
